Computer network servers for providing shared resources to a plurality of computers and for exchanging information are well known and have become common in the workplace. Office workers are becoming increasingly dependant upon resources provided to them through a computer network. However, when away from the office, workers often must perform their tasks without the assistance of a computer network. Rather, individual portable computers are often used to provide some resources to workers when away from the office. Although individual portable computers may be useful in some situations, they do not provide a common set of resources comparable to that provided by a computer network that may be shared by a number of individuals, and they do not provide an efficient means for exchanging information. The lack of a common set of resources creates several disadvantages, particularly where a group of individuals is assembled for a common task.
For example, a group of consultants may meet temporarily at a client's office to solve a particular problem posed by the client, or several attorneys may assemble at a hotel in preparation for a trial. In either case, to assist these individuals in executing their tasks, each individual may typically have an individual laptop computer. However, without a computer network, the exchange of information between these individuals is often effected through the exchange of floppy disks, which may be slower than the speed of information exchange offered by a network of computers. Additionally, such exchange of disks increases the possibility of infecting all of the independent computers with any virus that may be contained on one of the independent computers. Furthermore, each individual's independent laptop computer may include different resources than the other laptops. For example, one may use Word Perfect.RTM. word processing software while the other may use Microsoft Word.RTM.. This lack of a common set of resources may further inhibit efficient information interchange and the overall efficiency of the problem solving team. Moreover, the lack of a common network server inhibits the use of desirable computer software enabling more than one user to access the same data concurrently.
Thus, because of the disadvantages associated with using computers that are not connected together in a network, and as evidenced by the proliferation of computer networks in the office place, it is desirable to provide a set of common resources to a group of individuals working together to perform common tasks. However, although the use of a common network provides several advantages over the use of numerous independent computers, creating a temporary network for workers outside the office is often impractical. To do so often requires a trained network analyst to travel to the desired location of the temporary network to assemble and configure the network. Assembling and configuring a temporary network can be time consuming and expensive, and often the advantages provided by the network do not warrant the added expense. Thus, although computer networks may offer many advantages over a number of independent portable computers, workers often must settle for an inferior alternative when traveling away from the office.